diff --git a/src/routes/Chat.tsx b/src/routes/Chat.tsx
index ef6433b7c..b10593062 100644
--- a/src/routes/Chat.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Chat.tsx
@@ -274,25 +274,43 @@ export function Chat() {
                     // "npub1qf8e8cvfp60ywrah984zgsn8veggcrsv2cvttdr47tgz05ypf5yszwx308",
                     contact.npub,
                     20n,
+                    undefined,
                     refetchingTimestamp ? refetchingTimestamp : undefined
                 );
 
-                const lastConvo = info.value as CombinedMessagesAndActivity[];
-                if (
-                    lastConvo &&
-                    lastConvo.length === convo.length + activity.length
-                ) {
-                    console.log("no new messages or activity");
-                    return lastConvo;
-                }
-
-                console.log("dms", convo);
-
                 setLastFetch(BigInt(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)));
 
                 const dms = convo as FakeDirectMessage[];
                 const acts = activity as IActivityItem[];
 
+                if (info.refetching) {
+                    const lastConvo =
+                        info.value as CombinedMessagesAndActivity[];
+
+                    let lastConvoActivity = 0;
+
+                    // TODO: remove this once we can do "since" for activity as well
+                    for (let i = 0; i < lastConvo.length; i++) {
+                        if (lastConvo[i].kind === "activity") {
+                            lastConvoActivity += 1;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    if (
+                        convo.length === 0 &&
+                        activity.length === lastConvoActivity
+                    ) {
+                        console.log("no new messages or activity");
+                        // Return early because we've determined there's nothing new
+                        return lastConvo;
+                    } else {
+                        console.log("new messages or activity");
+                        dms.push(convo);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                console.log("dms", convo);
+
                 // Combine both arrays into an array of CombinedMessagesAndActivity, then sort by date
                 const combined = [
                     ...dms.map((dm) => ({